I have a commercial spray booth from Badger (the older model that looks like a white plastic box with a window on top) and want to learn if there’s any way to make efficient homemade filters for a spray booth. I would be interested in something inexpensive and from readily available materials.
Well I use an allergen style furnace filter in my homemade booth. Perhaps you could cut out pieces from one of those. They’re like big absorbent coffee filters. I’ve used the same one for over a year now.
Sometimes the plumbing/heating supply houses will have some damaged filters or element materials that they’ll either give away or sell real cheap… just depends on the place and the counter person that’s talking to you. I got a several charcoal and other types a few months ago when I was buying supplies for my a/c system.
I bought a couple damaged allergen-type filters at Home Depot or Lowes at a big discount after asking a manager.
You can also find stuff on ebay sometimes… search on paint booth filters or spray booth filters or just filters… no telling where things will turn up. A lot of it is too much quantity or too expensive for what most of us are looking for, but I’ve seen some things that might be useful if you can’t find something down the street. One seller, the ‘filterlady’ I think seems to offer about anything you could imagine, you just have to email her and describe demensions and type filter material you’re looking for and try to get a quote on how much you want to spend.
Not meaning to side track anything here… But I was wondering…?
Would using fish tank filter cartridges work as a filter in a spray booth?
I have some and can easily get more fairly cheap. The ones I’m talking about have not only the dense fiber material but also the activated carbon which absorbs chemicals, gases, fumes, etc… I know HAZMAT won’t be knocking on my door, but I would like to do my share in not releasing to many volatile fumes into our atmosphere.
But then again, how many years do I have left… ? [:P]
Jhande, even the most expensive commercial hobby spray booth doesn’t attempt to neutralize the toxins so carbon filtering isn’t required. All the booth does is dump the fumes outside your window. The only job of the filter is to prevent the wet paint mist from entering the fan assembly and damaging it. Check out the image of the filter for my Badger booth. The filter looks like a bunch of plastic hairs that have been compressed to form a layer an inch thick. They’re available for sale at $10 for a set of two but a filter clogs up so fast I’d prefer to change it for each new kit so maybe an even cheaper alternative is available.
To deal with the toxic fumes I wear a chemical protection respirator (even with the booth turned on).
Oh ok, so that makes life even easier then worrying about a filter system, if I even go with one.
I was considering my fish tank filters so I can just slide them in and out of a slot in front of my 4" exhaust port. I can easily remove the carbon and use that in other fish tank filters I have running.
Filter similar to these at ThatFishPlace.com (I get them cheaper) -
Or maybe I can use one of our old furnace filters or A/C filters… oh wait…
How about one of those metal type grease filters for those stove venting hoods?
They can be washed out when they get dirty and clogged up. I spray mostly enamel so I could soak it in cheap paint thinner and then take it out side and blast air through it from my garage compressor. Humm…